Tuesday, October 18, 2011

I love to cake. It is a hobby of mine that I greatly enjoy and that I am mastering over time. Here are a series of articles that I have recently written about things I have learned while baking and caking.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Today was my first PT appointment post-op. It went well, gnarly, but well. As expected, bending my knee was the most difficult part. My therapist said that I had regained more whole body movement (rolling to each side and even laying on my stomach) than she had expected. However, my hamstring has begun to atrophy as well as the other major muscles in my thigh. She used several electrical devices to stimulate my muscles and help me to make them contract. Needless to say I was VERY sore and swollen when all was said and done.
I had planned to go get Reese from school today. I have been released to drive and can with great difficulty get in and out of the car wearing my immobilizer but I can only drive if I don't have pain pills in my system. The first thing I wanted to do when I got home from PT was take a pain pill!!!...and I was utterly exhausted. My father-in-law agreed to pick Reese up for me today. I must admit that this was a great relief.
I have been very anxious about this week. It was set to be my first week without help and caring for the girls. I would need to take care of Rae at home Mon, Wed and Fri, then take Rae to school and pick her up on Tues and Thurs plus pick Reese up all week. This seemed allot to handle being that my PT suggested I not be up and on my feet for more than 10-15 minutes at a time--plus the fact that I still hurt and am on TWO crutches. If I were on one crutch at least I would have ONE hand free to tend to kids and make and carry lunches etc. I was obviously concerned and anxious.
This is where my hubby saved the day once again. He has taken such amazing care of me throughout this whole ordeal and he didn't fail me now. Jason arranged to go into work late on Tues and Thurs so that he can take Rae to school. Then he arranged for his dad to pick them both up from school all week!!!!
This diminishes my anxiety greatly and gives me another week to heal. All I have to do now is care for Rae at home on Wed and Fri this week (and Fri I will only have her half a day since I have another PT appointment and my mom-in-law is watching her for me then).
I think I can definitely handle THAT!
Thank you Jason and family for taking such good care of me!!

Monday, October 10, 2011

So things are looking up. The pain is getting more manageable. It does seem to get worse at night and when it rains, but I have had great help getting around and staying ccomfortable. I have managed to bathe twice in these 6 days. HUGE accomplishment. Jason helped me the first time and my mom helped me today for the second time. I forgot how nice it is to not have to smell your own BO!!

This Polar ice chest is awesome. I am getting to the point that it really helps with the pain, not just the insane amounts of swelling. The immobilizer is getting a bit uncomfortable being that I can only lay in one position--on my back. The back of the immobilizer is chaffing the back of my upper thigh. I have armed myself with a back-scratcher and larger amounts of lotion to try to solve the issue.

I have an appointment on Friday with my surgeon, Dr Ellis, and then one on Monday with my PT. I am ready to know more about my recovery and what I can and shouldn't do. These last 6 days in bed have felt like an eternity. I have tried to cut back on my portions because of the complete lack of activity but none-the-less I just intuitively know that my backside is GROWING! That's ok. When this is all said and done with, I want to run. I look forward to having a knee strong enough to allow me to do so.

My church family from The Church at Tree Lake my friends and my family have all been very supportive. We have had meals now for 2 weeks and they are still scheduling for next week. Visitors have stopped by to bring me coffee, do a bit of housework or just say hey and it has made a huge difference on my morale.

Shout out to:

Nikki Lindorfer

Angie Hall

Katie Lemay

Judy Powers

Leora Howell

Lizzy Ober

Donna Pruit

Doris Strahl

Karen

Ray Butley

The Dresners

Stephani Howell
Janette Ryno

Christina

and Tammy Wyers
I love you all and appreciate you beyond words--it's not just the codeine talking ;0)

Friday, October 7, 2011

Just remembered that the pre-op nurses gave me something they called a nerve block. From what I heard it sounded allot like a epidural just without a lingering needle. I must say that it was more uncomfortable to get than an epidural. The must concentrate on a specific nerve. When they hit the right spot my left leg started twitching like it was being electrocuted. Post op I had a great amount of pain at the injection site but no other side effects since then. If it helped with the post op pain I would have HATED to experience it without it.
Read more about it HERE.http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/83237-overview

Slowly getting better. There is a constant dull ache but not the unending FIRE that was there before. The pain subsides now as long as I do not move. As long as I keep it elevated and still, it is ok. But as soon as I need to go potty, change positions, sit up to eat or drink the pain is excruciating. And a new symptom began night before last.

The pain must still be VERY real when I am unconscious--I am now waking myself up from a sound sleep with a reoccuring nightmare (with well-matching pain) that my knee is dislocated. Not fun at all. My whole body jumps. I yell and then realize that the pain is from surgery and not a dislocated knee. Very strange sensation.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Not good at all. I spent the first 24 hours writhing in agony, screaming at every movement and crying each time I realized I needed to go pee. Had to increase pain pills to every 3 hours instead of 4 and had to add 4 advil 3 times a day. Finally today I at least feel lucid. I am not going to lie--yesterday I questioned myself if I had made the right decision. No dislocation that I have ever experienced hurt as badly as I hurt yesterday.
This trumps childbirth BY FAR!!!!
But the doc did tell Jason that the first two days would be hard. So I am trying to stay positive and remind myself that it WILL heal with time.
We still havent unwrapped dressings. We will do that tomorrow while girls are at school so that Jason can bathe me and put clean bandages back on my leg. Curious and scared at the same time to see what it looks like. It burns. At the incision sites--burns like fire. Pray for continued healing and relief.

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About Boobie

AKA: Rachel

I am a former High School teacher turned stay-at-home mom of 2 beautiful girls. I worked part-time as a preschool teacher. I graduated from Baylor University in 2003 with a BA in biology. I enjoy birdfeeding, crafting, reading, homemaking, couponing, writing and illustrating childrens books and bargain shopping.

I am married to my best friend, a mellow, loving, man who thinks the world of me.